Star Trek: Enterprise
Star Trek: Enterprise is the fifth live-action TV series set in the Star Trek universe. Created by Rick Berman and Brannon Braga, it debuted in 2001 on UPN and ran an abbreviated four years, ending in 2005. Starring Scott Bakula and Jolene Blalock and set in the 22nd century, Enterprise followed the voyages of ''Enterprise'', the first Earth starship capable of achieving warp five. The series broke convention in many ways: it was the only Star Trek series not to have any changes in its regular cast throughout its entire run. It was also the first Star Trek series shot in HDTV and widescreen format, instead of the traditional 4:3 aspect ratio. It was the first to use entirely computer generated images for visual effects shots. Enterprise was the only Star Trek series to have an opening theme song with lyrics. It was the first "prequel" in the franchise and was the first, since the classic series, to be set outside of the 24th century. The show was initially simply titled Enterprise, however "Star Trek" was added to the opening credits beginning with the third season episode "Extinction" in the hopes of making the show more easily marketable. Nevertheless, the series was not a ratings success and viewers steadily declined throughout its run. Seasons three and four were often cited as examples of the series' struggle with ratings, as they both produced fewer episodes than previous seasons. However, the seasons still remained longer than those of the average drama series on the other major networks. Perhaps, though, even more seriously, while the series was generally well-received by critics, many die-hard Star Trek fans felt alienated by the series and felt that it abandoned well-established continuity. In its last two seasons, Enterprise shifted from stand-alone episodes to multiple story arcs and recurring characters, much like Star Trek: Deep Space Nine had. Indeed, it may not be a coincidence that DS9's Jeffrey Combs also appeared in many episodes of Enterprise. After running for four seasons, the series was cancelled by UPN on , with the final episode airing on May 13th. It was the first Star Trek series to be cancelled prior to the end of its run since the original series, and the first spinoff to last fewer than seven seasons. It was low ratings and high budgets that ultimately led to the downfall of Enterprise. Despite fan outcry and a massive money-raising campaign, the fifth Trek series has not returned with new episodes. However, Enterprise may have opened the door to further exploration of Star Trek's past, as the recently announced eleventh feature will also be a "prequel". The main title theme was composed by Diane Warren, with vocals by Russell Watson) * * * Where My Heart Will Take Me Lyrics * (used in episodes "In a Mirror, Darkly" and "In a Mirror, Darkly, Part II") Overview Launched in the year 2151, the starship Enterprise, NX-01 (the first of Earth's advanced NX-class warp five vessels) was first on temporary assignment. Though years of preparation still lay ahead, the ship was unexpectedly put into service by Earth Starfleet when a Klingon national crash landed on Earth, putting the entire planet at stake, should he not make it back to his people. Under the command of Jonathan Archer, son of the famed warp five scientist Henry Archer, the crew of Enterprise succeeded in their mission, but found themselves surrounded by deeper mysteries, warranting the extension of their assignment into a full blown mission of deep space exploration, taking with them a Vulcan science officer (or chaperone) named T'Pol. Enterprise's first years were rocky; while the ship made contact with such species as the Suliban and the previously mentioned Klingons, such contact was not peaceful. In its first year alone, the ship's crew found themseves in armed conflict with more than a dozen species, and things only got worse. By its third year in space, an alien species known as the Xindi brutally attacked Earth, killing millions. NX-01 was dispatched into a previously uncharted area of space known as the Delphic Expanse to stop the Xindi from completing their ultimate goal of destroying humanity. While the ship was successful, after nearly a year in the Expanse, the ship suffered severe damage and many losses. In its fourth year, Enterprise found it serving a more diplomatic role in the service of Earth, easing relations between the Vulcans, the Andorians, and the Tellarites. Such efforts were instrumental in pushing Earth toward joining a Coalition of Planets, a government that would eventually lead to the founding of The United Federation of Planets. Main Cast *Scott Bakula as Jonathan Archer *Jolene Blalock as T'Pol *John Billingsley as Phlox *Dominic Keating as Malcolm Reed *Anthony Montgomery as Travis Mayweather *Linda Park as Hoshi Sato *Connor Trinneer as Charles "Trip" Tucker III Production Crew * Rick Berman - Co-Creator, Executive Producer, Writer * Brannon Braga - Co-Creator, Executive Producer, Writer * Chris Black - Co-Executive Producer, Writer * Manny Coto - Co-Executive Producer, Writer * John Shiban - Co-Executive Producer, Writer * David A. Goodman - Supervising Producer, Writer * Ken LaZebnik - Supervising Producer, Writer * Mike Sussman - Producer, Writer * Alan Brennert - Producer, Writer * André Bormanis - Executive Story Editor, Science Consultant, Writer * Alan Kobayashi - Graphic Designer * Dawn Velazquez - Producer Episode List Season 1 ENT Season 1, 26 episodes Season 2 ENT Season 2, 26 episodes Season 3 ENT Season 3, 24 episodes Season 4 ENT Season 4, 22 episodes Related topics *ENT Season 1 performers *ENT Season 2 performers *ENT Season 3 performers *ENT Season 4 performers *ENT recurring characters *ENT recurring character appearances *ENT directors *Composers *Paramount Stage 8 *Paramount Stage 9 *Paramount Stage 18 Background Some fans explain the alleged inconsistencies between this and the other Star Trek series with the theory that Star Trek: Enterprise is set in a slightly altered timeline created by the events of Star Trek: First Contact. These fans believe the uniforms, rank pips, even the design and name of the NX-01 are inspired by Zefram Cochrane and Lily Sloane's experiences in 2063. Theoretically, if the altered timeline interpretation is accepted, writers would be free to continue the story of Archer and the NX-01, re-imagine the original voyage of James T. Kirk and his crew, or come up with a completely unique premise for Star Trek XI without strictly adhering to established canon. However, with recent tie-ins in Season 4, this is very questionable. Many of these alleged inconsistencies are not, in fact, inconsistent with previously established canon, but with so-called "fanon". The opening scene with the ''Enterprise'' OV-101 shuttle is notable because Star Trek series fans helped name it. Gene Roddenberry and Star Trek's main actors took a famous picture with the shuttle on one of its roll-out runs. Kzinti starship.]] It has been recently disclosed that if Star Trek: Enterprise had been renewed for a fifth season, Manny Coto wanted to do a Kzinti episode. Talk about the episode progressed to the point that a "rough rendering" of a Kzinti starship was produced for possible use. External Links * * * Category:Star Trek de:Star Trek: Enterprise es:Star Trek: Enterprise fr:Star Trek: Enterprise nl:Star Trek: Enterprise pl:Star Trek: Enterprise sv:Star Trek: Enterprise